WARNING: These 9 Common Instagram Mistakes Are Losing You Followers

1.2 billion likes per day!

1,000 comments per second!!

Those are the Instagram stats right now. Just massive engagement!

In fact, Instagram is now seeing 15x more engagement than Facebook -- and 20x more than Twitter.

So the last thing your business should be doing is driving away followers because of common Instagram mistakes.

With that in mind, I wrote this post to help you identify the 9 most common Instagram mistakes that are losing followers for your business.

Avoid these and you'll do just fine!

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WARNING: These 9 Common Instagram Mistakes Are Losing You Followers

1. Making your Instagram account private

Making your Instagram account private is the fastest way to lose followers.

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This is one of the worst mistakes I see businesses making on their account.

Now don’t get me wrong -- for your personal profile this is a matter of preference. But on a business account, as soon as a user sees the private icon, they're likely to stay away.

There are 2 key reasons for this:

1. Their follower request has to be approved -- which can take anywhere from 1 hour to a day depending on when the business accepts
2. They can't see any content from the profile -- so they have no idea what type of content or messages the business is sharing

To ensure your business profile is not private, head to your profile and below your profile photo, click “Edit your profile”.

Then scroll down and ensure “Photos Are Private” is unchecked.

You definitely don't want your fans seeing this:

2. Posting the same type of content over and over

Have you ever heard the expression “too much of a good thing”?

Well this definitely applies to your Instagram posts.

Users will be quick to unfollow you on Instagram if you keep sharing the same type of content.

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Now there is nothing wrong with using selfies for social media marketing, but posting the same selfies over and over again will often cause followers to leave because, quite frankly, they get bored.

To avoid this, you want to ensure you're posting a wide range of different types of content to keep your followers engaged. This doesn't just mean mixing up quotes with business tips, but also experimenting with the colors and branding as well.

Looks like Kim Kardashian West is about to release a brand new book full of Selfies....

Is this too much?

3. Posting images too close together

Posting too many Instagram photos within a small time-frame is the easiest way to get un-followed

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There is nothing wrong with posting multiple times a day to your Instagram account. But posting content too close together is one sure way to put off your followers.

If your followers are scrolling through their feed and see back to back to back posts from your account, they will probably just scroll right passed your multiple posts -- which will kill your engagement.

Or they'll just get fed up and click "Unfollow."

To ensure this doesn’t happen, try to space out your content. Give your followers the chance to interact and engage with what you have to say.

4. Not responding to comments

You need to respond to comments on Instagram if you want build a stronger relationship with your followers.

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Remember: the whole reason your business is sharing content on Instagram is to engage and inform your followers.

Ignoring comments from them makes it obvious that you don't really appreciate their connection -- which isn't great news for anyone, and will probably lead to unfollows.

To prevent that and make sure your followers get your replies, just “@ Tag” their Instagram handle in all replies.

Then they'll get a notification -- and will probably even respond and engage.

5. Not using hashtags

Failure to use Instagram hashtags on your posts means your business is missing out on a huge chance to get discovered by new fans.

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Now you’re probably used to hearing people say, “Don’t overdo it with the hashtags -- too many can look spammy.”

Well this doesn’t apply to Instagram!

Let me explain -- in order for your content to stand the highest chance of getting seen, it’s actually vital that you include as many relevant hashtags related to your industry or niche as possible.

This helps the content get discovered by people following those key terms.

And if you don't want to overwhelm your photo caption with text and tags, you can always add a bunch of relevant hashtags to a comment. :)

So definitely pay attention online to the best Instagram hashtags for your industry -- and look to incorporate these into your posts (e.g., #TBT or #photooftheday).

If you want to monitor specific content around your business, you can also create your very own hashtag & promote this to your followers (e.g., #PostPlannerRules).

6. Not optimizing your Instagram bio

There's only 1 place on your Instagram account where followers can click a URL -- and that’s in your bio!

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If your business hasn’t added a link in the bio, you're missing out on a great way to attract new visitors to your site, blog or landing page.

Yes, you can paste a URL in the comments, but since this link is not active, very few people will click it or even remember it.

To capitalize on this, you want to ensure your business puts its most important link in the Instagram bio -- and let users know in the comments to click the link in the bio for more info.

7. Not posting videos

You’ve heard of 15 minutes of fame, right? Well, Instagram gives you just 15 seconds, so make the most of it!

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It's is the perfect chance for your business to showcase its personal side -- or even highlight key pieces of content or events.

The engagement on your videos will depend on your niche and how well you create the content. But it’s definitely one area you want to test out with your followers.

8. Not adding a profile pic

Users won’t follow an Instagram account if they can’t see the person or brand they're following

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The first thing we do when we greet someone in real life is look them in the face and say hi.

It's the same on social media -- especially on Instagram. And the first place people look to build a first impression is your profile picture.

So if you don't have a face to look at in your profile pic, you probably won't get a lot of followers -- and you may lose the ones you have.

Having no profile pic also damages your comments, because your blank profile pic is displayed next to every comment you make.

9. Not following other users

Only engaging with your own content is not an Instagram strategy.

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You HAVE to engage with other businesses and profiles if you want to build your network and establish relationships in your niche.

Following others lets them know you're interested in their content -- but it also offers you opportunities to interact with their content in the feed.

I’m not saying you should follow every user that follows your account.

But take time to research other accounts in your niche and look at these as opportunities to network and build a relationship.

This could even offer great opportunities for you to collaborate, helping to showcase your content to an even wider audience.

Conclusion

Whether you've just created your profile or you've built up a loyal following, avoiding these 9 common Instagram mistakes will set you on the path to a more engaged and loyal community.

What's next?

Are you ready to up your visual game on Instagram?

Grab your free copy of our ebook below.

You'll be glad you did!